Tiananmen Square: Our most recommended tours and activities

Beijing: Tian'anmen Square and Forbidden City Walking Tour

1. Beijing: Tian'anmen Square and Forbidden City Walking Tour

Meet in front of Beijing Urban Planning Center(or your Beijing downtown hotel's lobby if you choose the private tour), follow your tour guide to enter Tian'anmen Square from the travel agency passage which save you some time. Once get on the Tian'anmen Square, your tour guide will introduce the buildings around you, including the The Great Hall of the People, The National Museum of China, The Mausoleum of Mao Zedong, The Monument to the People's Heroes. Learn how the building was brought to life. Hear about the history events that took place here over time. Walk through the square and enter through the Tian'anmen gate, then enter the Forbidden City from the Meridian Gate. The Forbidden City is the largest and the best-preserved imperial palace complex in the world. You will visit the most important buildings along the middle axis of the palace, then visit two courtyards in the west chamber, be immersed in their history explained by your licensed and passionate guide. Lastly, you will visit the Imperial Garden and your tour will ends here, you can choose to explore more of the Forbidden City on your own, or your tour guide will advise where to catch a taxi to your next destination.

Beijing The Forbidden City or Tiananmen Square Ticket

2. Beijing The Forbidden City or Tiananmen Square Ticket

Tiananmen Square is one of the largest squares in the world, occupying an area of 440,000 sq. meters at the center of Beijing, and is spacious enough to hold a gathering attended by 1 million people. Its history can trace back to the Ming dynasty. And in the hundreds of years thereafter, it has witnessed the rises and falls of the empire, the establishment of the People’s Republic of China in 1949, the unprecedentedly large-scale demonstrations during the cultural revolution from 1966 to 1976, and the bloodshed in 1989. If the bricks paved on the ground can talk, each of them will have a lot of exciting or harrowing stories to share. The Forbidden City (Gùgōng), located at the centre of Beijing, was the main palace of Imperial China for five centuries, until the early 20th century. It today houses the Palace Museum, one of China's largest national museums, with an extensive collection based on the former imperial collection. This is truly the spot to appreciate the might and grandeur of the Imperial Chinese court during the height of its power in the Ming and Qing dynasties.

Beijing: Tiananmen Square Self-Guided Audio Walking Tour

3. Beijing: Tiananmen Square Self-Guided Audio Walking Tour

This mesmerising tour of Tiananmen Square, the heart of Beijing, and a world famous cultural landmark, features many of the most famous sights in the city. See the mausoleum where the body of Mao Zedong lies, and other great works of Communist architecture such as the Monument to the People’s Heroes and the Great Hall of the People, the distinctive National Performing Centre for the Arts, the National Museum of China, the highly unusual China Numismatic Museum, the Zhengyamen Gate, the Tiananmen Gates, Chang'an Avenue, and the Forbidden City, the fascinating home of generations of Chinese royalty, with thousands of rooms. A wonderful overview of the sights of Tiananmen Square, this tour is both interesting and informative. A visit to Tiananmen Square is essential for any visitor to Beijing. Your tour. Your way.

Beijing: Temple of Heaven and Forbidden City Private Tour

4. Beijing: Temple of Heaven and Forbidden City Private Tour

Meet your tour guide in the lobby of your hotel, your private tour will begins with a visit to the stunning Temple of Heaven visited by the emperors of the Ming and Qing dynasties for annual ceremonies of prayer to Heaven. Stroll around the garden with your tour guide, watching local people doing morning exercises and you are welcome to join! Follow your tour guide to stroll around the courtyards in the Temple of Heaven park, learn the histories and stories about the temple with your tour guide, get to know what an emperor's worship looks like. You will visit major buildings inside the park, including Hall of Prayer for Good Harvest, Hall or Imperial Zenith, Echo Wall, Nine Dragon Cypress, Circular Mount Alter and more. After lunch in the local restaurant, then head to the Tienanmen Square, home to the National Museum of China and many other buildings. If there is anything you particularly want to see, feel free to let your guide know. The best thing about having a private guide is that the tour can be tailored to the things that interest you the most. Pass through the south gate to the magnificent Forbidden City, a 250-acre complex of courtyards, palaces, pavilions and gardens, which served as the imperial palace for emperors and their households for more than 500 years. Follow your tour guide to explore most important buildings inside the Forbidden city, Hall of Great Harmony, Hall of Central Harmony, Hall of Preserving Harmony, Hall of Heavenly Purity, Hall of Union, Hall of Earthly Tranquility and the Imperial Garden. If you want to spend more time to explore the Forbidden city just let your tour guide know. After the tour finish, you will be transferred back to your hotel in Beijing.

Beijing: Private Sightseeing Nighttime Tour with Transfer

5. Beijing: Private Sightseeing Nighttime Tour with Transfer

Meet your guide in your hotel's lobby, hop into your private vehicle or take the subway and set off on your 4 hour night tour. Taking in most of Beijing's city iconic attractions, you’ll see how just magical the capital is at nightfall, with beautifully lit buildings lining its bustling streets. Tour including the following stops:(it may change depending on the traffic and other conditionals) Pass along Chang'an Avenue, the most important and political street in Beijing. Stroll around Tian'anmen square which is regarded as the largest city central square in the world which can hold half a million people at one time. Follow your tour guide to explore the surrounding buildings and learn the histories behind.( Please note Tian'anmen Square need to make reservation one day in advance, last minute booking we are not able to get into Tian'anmen Square, we will take you walk around the square instead) Discover the charm of the the National Centre for the Performing Arts. The exterior of the theater is a titanium accented glass dome that is completely surrounded by a man-made lake. It is said to look like an egg floating on water, or a water drop. It was designed as an iconic feature, something that would be immediately recognizable. Stroll around the Houhai lake area to enjoy a piece of charm. Follow your tour guide to walk through the Hutong area and explore the shops. Stop at Beijing National Stadiums for some awesome night pictures. Driven by the CCTV headquarter. The most remarkable architecture in China.(for tour with private transfer) Then you will have the chance to visit the Central Business District- Beijing's Manhattan area. You can't miss the shopping centers here, they are well known from their massive LED lights and very colorful. (for tour with private transfer) You will end your tour by transferring/subway back to your centrally located hotel in Beijing or any places in central Beijing. If you booked the night tour with dinner, you will choose to visit 3-4 nightlife zone and dinner in the local restaurant, you can choose Yunnan cuisine, famous Peking Duck dinner, or Hotpot or maybe Dim sum or Sichuan, just feel free to discuss with your tour guide, they will take you to the right palce. Please note : If you want to watch the flag lowering ceremony on Tian'anmen square, please add into "Special requirement".

Beijing: 4-hour In-Depth Walking Tour to Forbidden City

6. Beijing: 4-hour In-Depth Walking Tour to Forbidden City

Meet the guide at the Grand Hotel or your downtown hotel lobby if you choose private tour at your own transportation fee). You will visit firstly the Tian'anmen Square which is the largest public square in the World. Then continue to walk in from the South Meridian Gate to enter the Forbidden City. You’ll spend a couple of hours wandering around this amazing example of Imperial architecture and learning about the history of the palace. Forbidden City was the imperial palace from the Ming and Qing Dynasties. For around 500 years , it served as the home of emperors and their households, as well as the ceremonial and political center of Chinese government The tour route : Forbidden City is divided into two parts. The southern section, or the Outer Court was where the emperor exercised his supreme power over the nation. The northern section, or the Inner Court was where he lived with his royal family. After the Forbidden City we may choose to just spend more time at the Forbidden City or visit the Jinshan Park on your own at the back gate of the Forbidden City or the guide help you to find a taxi to go back to the hotel on your own.

In-depth Forbidden City Walking Tour&Tian’anmen Square

7. In-depth Forbidden City Walking Tour&Tian’anmen Square

Forbidden City is the largest wooden complex palace in the world. It’s a huge city instead of a palace. It was built in 1404 by emperor Zhudi, the bravest emperor through whole Chinese 2000 year’s feudal dynasties’ history who vowed to protect whole nation from the entrance of China, it took 16 years for the whole construction and came into being in 1420. The whole Forbidden City is built under Chinese Feng-shui and five elements. It is mainly divided into two parts, political center and living quarter. The political center in the southern part is consist of three halls, which are hall of Supreme Harmony, hall of Middle Harmony and hall of Preserving Harmony for emperors to hold most important ceremonies. Then the living quarter located in the north part of the Forbidden City, where emperors, their wives and children to live there. The last part is the imperial garden, where families have fun to kill the time, full of beautiful flowers, pavilions, rockeries, temples…… You will exist from the Northern gate of the Forbidden City. After the Forbidden City, we will walk to the less touristy entrance of the Tian’anmen Square. It was a square only for the emperors before 1911. It became people’s square after 1st, Oct, 1949. Where you can see the memorial hall of Chairman Mao.

From Beijing: 3-Day UNESCO World Heritage Sites Private Tour

8. From Beijing: 3-Day UNESCO World Heritage Sites Private Tour

This private 3-day tour gives you plenty of time to explore Beijing's UNESCO World Heritage Sites, such as the Forbidden City, Temple of Heaven, Summer Palace, and The Great Wall of China. If you have extra time, you can add other sites into the itinerary(entrance fee at your own cost): Beihai Park, Jinshan Park, Miaoyin Temple or other sites you are interested to go (within the 3rd ring road of Beijing city)Since this is a private tour, please list any special interests you have while booking, from art and architecture to history and culture, so the guide can better prepare for your Beijing experience. Day 1: After meet your tour guide, start by exploring one of the world’s largest public areas, Tian'anmen Square. Pass through the south gate to the Forbidden City, stroll around the courtyards and halls of the Forbidden city with your tour guide, and learn the histories and stories about this massive palace. You will visit most important buildings inside the Forbidden City. Stop in a local restaurant for lunch, then discover the Lama Temple in the afternoon. Lama Temple is one of the largest and most important Tibetan Buddhist monasteries in the world. For evening, you can enjoy an amazing Chinese show, such as the Acrobatic show, Kongfu show or Peking opera.(at your own cost) After the show finished, you will be transferred back to your hotel in Beijing Day 2: After meet your guide, heading to Mutianyu Great Wall. Once arrive at the The Mutianyu Great Wall, you’ll enjoy a less hurried experience and take time to marvel at this wondrous structure and the surrounding hillsides. Hiking up and down for about 1.5 hours at the various sections of the Wall, exploring the watch and beacon towers. Stop at a Local Restaurant for lunch. On the way to city stop to take photos at the iconic "Bird's Nest"– the Beijing National Stadium, where hosts many spectacular events of the 2008 Summer Olympics. Continue to the Drum Tower area, stroll around the local Hutong neighborhood. Get to know the local life and people. You also can explore the Houhai lake area and Nanluoguxiang Hutong allays. After the tour finished, you will be transferred back to your hotel in Beijing. Day 3: Begins with the Temple of Heaven, once visited by the emperors of the Ming and Qing dynasties for annual prayer ceremonies. Follow your tour guide to explore many important buildings including: Hall of Prayer for good harvest, Danbi Bridge. 9 dragon Juniper and more Spend time in the pearl market to purchase your China souvenir, your guide will teach you how to negotiate price in the market. Next, see the pandas in the Beijing Panda House and have a delicious duck lunch in the local restaurant Continue to the Summer Palace, a well-preserved royal garden that's renowned for its beautiful landscape and spectacular architecture, and is considered one of the most classical gardens in the world. After the tour finished, you will be transferred back to your hotel in Beijing.

Beijing:Tian'anmen Square Forbidden City&Mutianyu Great Wall

9. Beijing:Tian'anmen Square Forbidden City&Mutianyu Great Wall

After being picked up from your Beijing Downtown hotel(for private tour) or meet at the meeting point (for small group tour), you will begin exploring at the Tian’anmen Square. Use the convenient fast track entry, stroll through the massive square with your tour guide. You will see these buildings in and around the square: Chairman Mao’s Mausoleum, the Monument of the People's Heroes, the Great Hall of The People, the National Museum, the Front Gates, the Old Beijing Railway Station and more while learning about the history of these buildings from your guide.  On the way to the Forbidden City, you will pass by the Gate of Heavenly Peace and Duanmen Gate. Then enter the Forbidden City from the Massive Meridian Gate. The Forbidden City was the political and ritual center of China for over 500 years. After its completion in 1420, the Forbidden City was home to 24 emperors, their families and servants during the Ming and the Qing dynasties.Spend 1.5 hours to explore the halls, courtyards and gardens. Your guide has an extensive knowledge of Chinese history, culture and architecture. They will share their knowledge with you in an informative, personable, and enjoyable manner. Feel free to ask questions if you have. Next, heading to the Great Wall at Mutianyu section. During the 1.5 hours drive, your tour guide will explain the related histories and stories. Stop at the local restaurant for an authentic countryside style lunch. Upon arrival at Mutianyu, follow your tour guide to take either the cable car or ski lift up to the Wall which will save you valuable time, marvel at this world's longest manmade project, hike up and down with your tour guide to explore different watch towers, climb up to the tower to find out how military signal were send back in the past. Take as many photos as you like, after 1.5 hours hike, you will descend by ski lift/cable car or take the fun toboggan.(it might stop if it is raining) Then, you will be transferred back to your hotel/meeting point in Beijing.

Beijing: Forbidden City Temple of Heaven with Hutong Tours

10. Beijing: Forbidden City Temple of Heaven with Hutong Tours

This amazing classic city tour of Beijing that includes both visiting the most popular attractions and also some small historic alleys. You will start your day from walking around the Tian'anmen Square, heading to Forbidden City, understanding the local life in the hutongs and end up your day by going to Temple of Heaven. Hotel transfer and entrance tickets are all included. You can choose different Language.

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